Narrator: Once upon a time on an old farm, there was a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs.

Mother Duck: It was about time that my eggs hatch! … 1,2,3,4,5,6 ducklings I have!

Narrator: But something was not right.

Mother Duck: Mmmm… that egg didn`t hatch, and it is bigger than the rest… I don`t remember laying that seventh egg… I wonder how it got here… or did I count the eggs wrongly?

Narrator: But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling with gray feathers not yellow looked at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.

Mother Duck: I can’t understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!.

Narrator: The gray duckling certainly wasn’t pretty, and since he ate more than his brothers, he was bigger. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. His brothers didn’t want to play with him.

6 Brothers: Stay away from us! We don´t want to play with you. You are so ugly, you are not one of us!

Narrator: And all the animals in the farm laughed at him.

Pig, Cow, Goat: Ha, ha, ha.. you look so funny! Where did you come from? Did you get lost? Stay away from us, you don´t belong here.

Narrator: He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him.

Mother DucK: Poor little ugly duckling! Why are you so different from the others?

Narrator: And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly cried at night. He felt nobody wanted him.

Narrator: Then one night, he escaped. Once again he was all alone. He run as far away as he could.

Ugly Duckling: If nobody wants me, I’ll hid here forever.

Narrator: There was a lot of food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely. One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds. White, with long necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south.

Ugly Duckling: If only I could look like them, just for a day!

Narrator: Winter came and the water froze. The poor duckling left home to seek food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket.

Farmer: I’ll take him home to my children. They’ll look after him. Poor thing, he’s frozen!

Narrator: The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer’s house. In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the cold winter. However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided:

Farmer: I’ll set him free by the pond!

Narrator: That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored in the water.

Ugly Duckling: Goodness! How I’ve changed! I hardly recognize myself!

Narrator: The flight of swans came on to the pond. When the duckling saw them, he realized he was one of their kind, and soon made friends.

Swans: We’re swans like you! . Where have you been hiding?

Ugly Duckling: It’s a long story.

Narrator: Now, he swam majestically with his fellow swans. One day, he heard children on the river bank exclaim:

Children: Look at that young swan! He’s the most beautiful of them all!